Echoes of Forever - psh

Chapter 1

"First love is like a delicate flower, blooming with vibrant colors and sweet fragrances, yet easily withered by the slightest chill."

2019

The classroom was alive with the sounds of chatter, chairs scraping against the floor, and the quiet rustle of textbooks being flipped open. It was the typical hum of another school day, where the mundane routine lulled most of the students into a comfortable rhythm. But not Nabi.

Nabi sat by the window, her chin resting in the palm of her hand as her eyes scanned the lines of her textbook. Her long hair fell in gentle waves over her shoulder, partially shielding her face from view. Outside, the sky was a soft, hazy blue, and the sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground below. But Nabi wasn't paying attention to the peaceful scene beyond the glass. She was immersed in her work, her pencil occasionally tapping against the page in a thoughtful rhythm.

To everyone else in the room, Nabi was just a quiet girl, distant but diligent. She didn't participate in the classroom gossip or the after-school hangouts. She preferred solitude, finding comfort in her own company and the steady progress of her academic goals. It wasn't that she disliked people—she just found that most didn't understand her need for silence.

And that's exactly what drew Sunghoon in.

The door to the classroom slid open, and a wave of energy followed in its wake. Sunghoon stepped inside, his backpack slung casually over one shoulder, his dark hair slightly tousled as though he'd been running his hands through it. He wasn't late, but he wasn't early either, and his presence seemed to command attention without him having to do much at all.

A few heads turned as he entered, girls whispering among themselves and boys throwing friendly nods his way. Sunghoon was popular—not because he tried to be, but because there was something about him that people gravitated toward. His easygoing smile, his athletic build, the way he seemed to carry himself with a natural confidence—it all worked in his favor.

As he made his way to his seat, his eyes caught sight of Nabi by the window. She didn't look up, didn't acknowledge the slight shift in the classroom's atmosphere that always seemed to happen when Sunghoon walked in. She remained focused, her pencil now gliding over the page as she jotted down notes, completely indifferent to the world around her.

And that intrigued him.

For a moment, Sunghoon stood still, watching her from across the room. There was something different about her, something that set her apart from the rest of the class. She didn't seem interested in the usual social dynamics that played out daily—who was friends with who, who liked who, or who was the most popular. She was in her own world, and it made him curious.

With a slight tilt of his head, Sunghoon changed his course. Instead of heading to his usual spot near the back, he approached the empty seat next to Nabi. As he sat down, he glanced over at her, half-expecting her to notice. But she didn't. She was still engrossed in her work, the light from the window casting a soft glow on her skin, giving her an almost ethereal appearance.

Sunghoon leaned back in his chair, casually draping his arm over the back of it as he watched her for a moment longer. He could feel the weight of the unspoken question in his mind—Who is this girl?

"Hey," he said finally, his voice low but clear.

Nabi's pencil paused, but she didn't look up right away. Her eyes stayed on the page, as if she were debating whether to acknowledge him or not. After a beat, she glanced over, her expression neutral.

"Yes?" Her voice was soft, but there was an edge of impatience in it, like she didn't want to be disturbed.

Sunghoon smiled, undeterred by her cold reception. "You're new, right?"

Nabi blinked, her brows knitting together slightly as she processed his question. "I've been here for over a month."

"Oh." Sunghoon chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Guess I'm not very observant."

She didn't respond, her gaze shifting back to her textbook, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. Most people would have taken the hint, but Sunghoon wasn't most people.

"Do you always sit by the window?" he asked, leaning forward slightly, as if trying to catch her attention again.

Nabi let out a quiet sigh, her patience thinning. "Yes."

"Why?" Sunghoon pressed, his tone genuinely curious now.

This time, she looked up fully, her eyes meeting his. Her gaze was steady, and for a moment, Sunghoon found himself caught off guard by the intensity behind those eyes—dark, contemplative, like she could see through all the trivialities he usually hid behind.

"Because it's quiet," she said simply.

Sunghoon held her gaze for a moment longer, his smile fading as he realized she wasn't going to give him anything more. She wasn't playing the game most people did—the back-and-forth banter, the small talk that usually led to something more. She was direct, straightforward. And she wasn't interested.

"Fair enough," he muttered, leaning back in his seat again, this time a little less sure of himself.

The silence stretched between them, thick and heavy. Sunghoon wasn't used to this. He was the kind of guy who could strike up a conversation with anyone, charm them into laughter or at least a smile. But Nabi was different. She didn't seem affected by his presence at all, and that only made him more intrigued.

As the class went on, Sunghoon found his attention wandering back to her again and again. She was a mystery, and Sunghoon was never one to back down from a challenge. There was something about her—the way she seemed so content in her solitude, the way she didn't feel the need to fit in with the crowd—that made him want to know more.

By the time the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Sunghoon had made up his mind. He wasn't going to let this go. He had to find out what made Nabi tick, what lay beneath that calm, distant exterior.

As Nabi stood to leave, slipping her textbook into her bag, Sunghoon called out to her again.

"Nabi."

She paused, turning slightly to look at him, one eyebrow raised in mild curiosity.

"Want to hang out after school?"

Nabi stared at him for a moment, clearly taken aback by the sudden invitation. She didn't answer right away, and Sunghoon could see the wheels turning in her mind as she weighed her options.

"No," she said finally, her tone firm but not unkind. "I have things to do."

With that, she turned and walked out of the classroom, leaving Sunghoon standing there, watching her retreating figure with a small, amused smile playing on his lips.

Interesting, he thought to himself.

As he slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed for the door, he couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning.